Agriculture

Farmers in Illinois and throughout the nation have no greater friend in Congress than Denny Hastert. Hastert earned his first paycheck as a boy delivering Purina Feed to farmers in Kane and Kendall Counties, and is proud to serve a congressional district that reflects those agricultural roots.

Hastert understands that farmers are the backbone of our economy, and that government must create an environment in which agriculture thrives.

To that end, he worked to grant Trade Promotion Authority to the President, opening new markets to America’s farmers. He supported tax incentives for farmers and other small businesses to invest in new technology, machinery, and equipment. He pushed to repeal the Death Tax through 2010, and is committed to making that repeal permanent. And he continues to work to eliminate foreign trade barriers on genetically modified food, which cost more than $300 million annually in corn exports alone.

The recipient of a series of honors from agricultural organizations, Hastert most recently was presented with the 2003 Charles B. Shuman Award from the Illinois Farm Bureau for outstanding contributions to Illinois agriculture.